Inventory
PART III: Procurement and Fulfillment Operations
Session 4: Material Requests and Approvals
Course Code: INV-04
Goal: Streamline the material request process to ensure timely procurement, project readiness, and operational efficiency.
Session Overview
Duration: 1 Hour
Format: Instructor-led (via Microsoft Teams or in-person)
Level: Introductory to Intermediate (Ideal for field supervisors, project managers, purchasing agents)
Resources Provided:
- Material Request Workflow Guide
- Approval Checklist and Authorization Matrix
- Status Color-Coding Quick Reference
Learning Objectives
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Create, edit, and manage material requests in CUBE.
- Set “Need by” dates and properly link requests to projects or service tickets.
- Approve material requests and understand multi-level approval workflows.
- Use color-coded statuses to track request progress and expedite urgent needs.
Session Agenda
INV4.1 Creating and Managing Material Requests
- Step-by-step creation of a new Material Request.
- Required fields:
- Project / Service Ticket Association
- Requestor Details
- Parts and Quantities Requested
- Editing, canceling, or duplicating requests as needed.
INV4.2 Setting “Need by” Dates and Project Associations
- Importance of accurate "Need by" dates for procurement planning.
- Linking to specific projects, tasks, or phases for traceability.
- Field technician and project manager best practices for realistic need dates.
INV4.3 Approving Material Requests
- Single-step vs. multi-step approval configurations.
- Best practices for prioritizing urgent approvals.
- Tracking pending, approved, rejected requests easily.
INV4.4 Using Color-Coded Statuses for Tracking
- Color legend:
- Red: Overdue / Urgent
- Yellow: Pending Approval
- Green: Approved / Ordered
- Quickly spotting bottlenecks and late materials in the dashboard view.
Hands-On Preview (Optional if time allows)
- Create a Material Request.
- Submit for approval and approve as an authorized user.
- Adjust Need by Date and see status color updates.
Post-Session Action Items
- Review open Material Requests for old or inaccurate entries.
- Standardize "Need by" date usage across teams.
- Align field and warehouse teams on request escalation processes.
Note:Â When scheduling, make sure to include this session code: INV-04